Latvian

The Latvians are a Baltic people forged from pagan tribes, including Latgalians, Selonians, Semigallians and Curonians, together with Finnic Livonians, whose name the German conquerors gave to Livland.

The Livonian Crusade ended their independence: Bishop Albert founded Riga in 1201, and after defeat at Saule in 1236 the Brothers of the Sword became the Livonian Order. The Semigallians held out until 1290, when many migrated to Lithuania. Riga grew rich on Daugava trade while Baltic German nobles ruled Latvian peasants.

The Livonian War of 1558 to 1583 dissolved the Order's state: Courland became a duchy under Polish suzerainty. Riga passed to Russia in 1710, and the partitions of Poland added Latgale and Courland by 1795. Lutheranism and the Herrnhut movement fostered Latvian literary culture; serfdom was abolished in Courland in 1819 and Livonia in 1820.